Paradise City
by InsomniacHighway
Summary: After a failed Broadway show and a humiliating attempt at a television career, Rachel Berry leaves acting for good in favor of a music career in the form of a rock band. Quinn Fabray on the other hand, leaves behind a failing, unfulfilled marriage to move across the country. Rachel knows something great is going to happen when she performs at a bar called Paradise City. But what?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: Rachel and Quinn belong to Glee. All other characters are mine unless stated otherwise.

Should I be working on my two other fanfics? Yes. Yes I should. But i'm currently a bit blocked. So here's something I had written a couple of weeks back but never published.

* * *

63 days.

That's how long it had taken for Rachel Berry to pick up a guitar on a whim and learned how to play the basics.

She had relied on the endless supply of Youtube tutorial videos as well as a stack of old, worn out 'How To' books she had picked up at various garage sales around the city.

After that, it was another year of constant practicing in her apartment before she could really say that she had somewhat mastered the skill.

Well, as much as she could in a year.

No longer having a career really freed up a lot of her time.

Her first and only Broadway show had lasted a glorious three months before it had been abruptly cancelled due to lack of funding.

Or as the cast liked to call it 'the producer using the show's budget for his own personal needs'.

Just like that, she had been out of a job. _Her dream job. _

But that hadn't discouraged her.

Yet.

It was the embarrassing attempt at a career in television that had driven her away from the acting business.

After her brief and suddenly cut short stint on Broadway, she had auditioned for the pilot of a new TV show. She had been ecstatic and had even flown to LA to shoot the first episode. She was so excited because she thought she was turning over a new leaf by entering the Television business.

But to her utter embarrassment, the pilot aired and was met with horrendous ratings and reviews.

She had been humiliated.

It was mostly out of shame, but she had gotten a taste of the cutthroat world of Broadway/Television acting and ultimately decided that it wasn't for her.

Besides, her true passion was singing.

She could do without the acting.

And she could definitely do that without being on Broadway.

During her time holed up in her apartment, she had rediscovered her passion for music and after the long year where she had done basically nothing but practice and work at an old diner to pay the bills, she set out to find people who shared her passion.

People who weren't vicious, backstabbing and downright egotistical like the people she had met while working in theater.

Nine months later, she found herself 2915 miles from New York City, the place she had called home for the past few years.

San Francisco, California.

It was here first time in the beautiful and eclectic city.

And she was performing.

While she had still been living in New York City, she had met three people that had changed her life.

For the better, of course.

First there was Angela.

A bass player.

They had met by chance at a hole in the wall coffee shop where Rachel had been pouring over a stack of music sheets, attempting to write one of her first songs.

The dark haired girl happened to glance at what she was doing and they had instantly started a conversation about their favorite music genres as well as their opinions on today's industry that lasted well until the shop's closing time.

They had become fast friends,and together, they would have little jam sessions whenever they could.

Then there was Brennan.

A drummer. A spectacular drummer, actually. One of the best she had ever heard. It still surprised her that he wasn't famous already.

She had never seen someone drum that fast before.

Strange enough, that had met online. It was shortly after she had met Angela, when the two of them had started throwing around the idea of starting a band.

It was just a silly fantasy at first, neither of them thinking that it would actually take off.

But then they found Levi in Central Park, where he was playing for a small group of people.

He was a keyboardist.

He was young, but he was good. Very good.

And he had been the missing part of their puzzle.

They had taken a leap of faith.

And together they formed the _The Bad Beginnings_.

With Rachel on the electric guitar, singing lead vocals of course.

It took a couple of months for them to get their sound right and be able to play smoothly together.

But eventually they started getting a few gigs here and there around New York City and the surrounding areas.

People started paying attention to them and their mix of original songs and covers of rock classics got their name circulating around the music scene.

And now they were here.

_Paradise City. _

A bar in the middle of San Francisco's Bay Area.

The city that birthed the Summer of Love.

And an important city when it came to rock and roll history.

It was their first West Coast gig.

And if they were lucky, there would be important people there to watch them play.

None of them were actually in it for the money, no.

They were in it for the music.

The passion of it.

The thrill of getting up on stage and captivating a crowd with their sound.

But they all agreed to landing a recording contract would help them pay the bills.

After all, the four of them had all left behind their former lives for this.

_Paradise City. _

It was the beginning of something great.

She didn't know what exactly.

But she could feel it.

Something was about to happen.

* * *

Rachel had been standing in front of the vanity mirror in the small dressing room for the past twenty minutes, frowning at one of the cracked light bulbs.

It was 9:42 pm.

They were scheduled to go on at 10 pm.

And she was a nervous wreck.

Sure they had played more than a dozen gigs before this.

But this was a bigger crowd. A bigger bar. And a different kind of people.

West Coast people.

The majority of which probably hadn't even heard of them.

But tonight, she had one mission in mind.

To make them remember their name.

Rachel's voice could do that to people.

She could sing her heart out and everyone in the audience would be mesmerized.

"Are you almost ready, Rae? You gotta be out in like fifteen minutes. The place is packed!"

The voice came from the other side of the door.

It was Angela.

She gulped lightly as she looked at the time on her phone.

9:44 pm.

She was the last one in the dressing room. Everyone had finished getting ready at least half an hour before her. But she was always the last one out because she spent so much time perfecting her look.

Her new look.

In high school, she had been all about argyle and short plaid skirts. Knee socks and animal sweaters. Penny loafers. Practical, yet hideous clothes.

In college, she had switched to a more sophisticated look. She kept the skirts, but she no longer owned any with a plaid pattern. She wore more neutral tones, and traded in the knee highs for tights. And the penny loafer for nice heels.

Now? It was a complete one eighty from the Rachel Berry who used to strive for the Broadway stage.

Leaving her old life and failed career behind meant leaving her old self behind as well.

The hair went first, and it was probably one of the hardest things to get rid of.

The long chestnut locks that once flowed down her back were now cut just above her shoulders.

It was easier to manage that way.

She had kept the color, but Levi had convinced her to add in a couple of electric purple streaks.

It suited her.

The wardrobe was the easiest to change.

She got rid of all her skirts, heels and modest sweaters and replaced them with skinny jeans, vintage band t-shirts, combat boots, leather jackets and the occasional pair of leather pants.

Brennan always said they made her ass look fantastic.

And she agreed.

For some reason, she always went home with a pocket full of phone numbers when she wore her tight leather pants.

(Which is why she was wearing them tonight.)

Yes. It was drastic and a complete change from who she used to be during her high school and college years. But it was a change that she felt she needed, and she liked it.

She had fully embraced her new identity as the front runner of an aspiring rock band.

And then there was...the tattoos.

Yes, the formerly goody two shoes Rachel Berry had gotten tattoos.

Not many. But there were a couple here and there.

It had all started with a tiny blue butterfly that she had gotten a couple of years back in memory of her grandmother's passing. It was small and located just above her hipbone where it was practically invisible to most people.

But soon she had wanted more, fascinated by the beauty of the colorful ink that could be forever imprinted on her skin.

So now she got a new one every once in awhile, with her biggest and most recent piece being the cherry blossoms on her back.

Among other things, cherry blossoms represented the fleeting nature of life. So she had them done as a way to remind herself that life was short, and that she shouldn't be wasting it on the things that weren't making her feel happy and fulfilled.

And music?

Music was definitely fulfilling her right now, and leaving the theater for it was the best decision she had ever made.

"Rachel, come on. You have to make sure that your guitar is tuned before we go on. Remember what happened in Jersey?"

It was Levi this time.

And she tried not to think about the time they had performed at a small bar in New Jersey and she had went on with her electric guitar completely out of tune.

It had been horrible.

With a sigh, she ran a hand through her short dark locks.

"Give me two minutes and I'll be out!", she called back.

She met her reflection in the mirror again and swallowed lightly.

She was wearing her favorite pair of leather pants, an old Deep Purple t-shirt that had actually belonged to her father, a leather jacket and boots.

Basically, her outfit was kind of a cliché. But she liked it.

And she always contrasted the dark colors of her wardrobe with a nice red lipstick, because it accentuated her pouty lips and made her look hot.

Again, according to Brennan.

She put the finishing touches on her makeup and lightly ruffled up her hair, not wanting it to be too neat.

The last thing she did before leaving the dressing room was grab a bottle of water and her lucky guitar pick, and then she was out.

"We thought you would lock yourself in there all night and miss the show, Berry.", Levi teased her as she walked over to the members of her band, who were all sitting on old speakers in the closed off area behind the bar's stage.

She scoffed lightly at him and rolled her eyes, smacking him on the shoulder.

"Shut up. I'm just...nervous.",she admitted quietly as she briefly chewed her bottom lip. "This is a big night for us. We've never performed out here before and if everything goes well tonight, it could help us land our next big gig, okay? We need this. We've worked hard enough for it and we deserve to start getting somewhere." ,she murmured softly, looking at the three of them.

There was a brief moment of silence before Angela walked over to her and gently squeezed her arm, giving her a reassuring smile.

"Hey, don't worry, Rae. We've been practicing for weeks for this gig, remember? You had us in Levi's garage running songs over and over ever since we got the call that we booked the gig. We're ready for this. Don't worry, short stuff. We won't embarrass you out there.",she winked playfully as she nudged Rachel's hip.

The brunette rolled her eyes at her and grabbed her guitar that was sitting on a stand nearby.

It wasn't much. Just an old Fender American that she had bought at a trade shop when they had formed their group.

Her plan was to save up some money for something in the Gibson variety.

While she and Angela made sure that their instruments were in tune, Brennan absently twirled his drumsticks between his fingers while sipping on a beer, and she could hear Levi humming along to an old _Queen_ song that was playing on the loud speakers to entertain the crowd before they went on.

"Hey Rach, you should cover that one sometime." , she heard Brennan say as he sang along to _The Show Must Go On._

She simply smiled at him before the bar manager appeared to tell them that they had two minutes until it was their queue to go on.

9:58

Her heart was thrumming like crazy and she could feel her palms sweat, so much so that she had trouble holding on to her guitar pick.

She felt someone pat her on the back and looked over to see Levi giving her an encouraging smile. "Hey. You got this, Rach. _We've_ got this. We all left behind different lives to pursue this because this is what we love. Music is what we love. It's what we want to do and it's what we're good at. We're going to let San Francisco know who we are and they are going to remember us.", he said softly, but loud enough so that the other band members heard him.

They all grinned at him.

And then, the stage lights dimmed and the music that was playing on the speakers died down to nothing.

The crowd started cheering.

It was their time.

10 pm.

Their biggest crowd yet.

And they would rock it.

"We all had a few bad beginnings, and that's what brought us together. Now let's bring this place down together.", Rachel said confidently.

And with that, they walked out onto the stage.

* * *

Rachel nearly stumbled when she saw the crowd, her eyes widening slightly.

Angela wasn't kidding. The place really was packed.

She didn't even know that the bar could fit in this many people. Surely it went against some kind of safety regulation.

But nevertheless, the crowd was huge. And they were all cheering as they waited for them to start.

It was definitely an adrenaline rush.

Even more so than when she had seen their band name in big letters outside the bar when they had arrived.

Her heartbeat was practically fluttering as she walked over to the microphone stand in the middle of the stage, her guitar swinging behind her on its strap.

She was upfront. Angela was on her left. Levi was on her right. And Brennan was in the back. Their usual set up.

She tried to be subtle about needing to take a few calming breaths.

The crowd was cheering so loudly that it drowned out everything else. And they hadn't even started yet.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that everyone else had gotten into position and was ready.

Well, ready as they'd ever be.

She cleared her throat and glanced over at the bar manager, who gave the signal to turn on their mics.

She took a moment to lean down and plug in her guitar before straightening back up.

As soon as she stepped up to the mic, the crowd silenced and she couldn't help but grin softly.

They were ready for them.

Deep breath, Rachel.

"Hello Paradise City!",she said loudly into her mic, her grin stretching wider when she was met with a round of applause and cheering.

She began absently strumming on her guitar. Nothing too loud, just a quiet melody while she spoke to the crowd, warming herself up.

"Tonight's our first time visiting the beautiful city of San Francisco and it's definitely an honor to be here."

More cheering.

Everybody in the front row was practically pressed against the sides of the stage.

"This is also our first ever show on the West Coast.", she added.

When the cheering died down again, she briefly licked her lips and smiled again.

"I won't keep you guys waiting any longer. My name is Rae Berry. We are _The Bad Beginnings, _and when you leave this place tonight, I promise you'll remember who we are."

And with that, they launched into a cover of _The Cars'_ 'Just what I needed', Rachel's powerhouse voice putting its own spin on the old 1978 released song.

To her great relief, they had a smooth start and she thanked God that she hadn't gotten choked up or suddenly forgotten how to play guitar.

Something that always seemed to happen in her worse nightmares.

She began to relax, her body seeming less tense as they moved into the chorus of the song and she began to lightly sway along to the rhythm as she played.

For the first few seconds, she had been focusing on one of the lights in the back to keep her concentration, but as her nerves melted away, she began to scan the crowd.

There were so many people.

So many different faces and such a diverse group.

She still couldn't believe that they were all in there, listening to them play.

Listening to _her_ sing.

It was amazing.

The audience was swaying along as well. Some waving their hands, and some even singing along.

It was the best feeling in the world.

She only hoped that one day, people would be able to sing along when they played their original songs. Now _that _would be the best feeling in the world.

They were moving into the last chunk of the song, where the chorus was basically repeated a few times until the song faded out.

She skimmed the crowd again, a wide smile on her face while she sang.

There were a lot of men in the audience.

But also a lot of women.

A whole lot of women, actually.

And she had to try her hardest not to blush because it was kind of obvious that some of them were staring.

At _her._

She ran her tongue over her bottom lip, moving closer to the mic.

"_I guess, you're just what I needed_  
_I needed someone to feed_  
_I guess, you're just what I needed_  
_I needed someone to bleed_  
_Yeah, yeah, so bleed me..._"

She crooned into the mic.

But as she kept scanning over the crowd, her heart gave a little flutter.

Now Rachel had seen lots of beautiful things in her life.

She had been to art galleries, seen the sunset a few dozen times, walked through a field of wild flowers. That sort of stuff.

But right there in the front row, among the sea of swaying bodies and smiling faces, she caught sight of the most beautiful pair of hazel eyes she had ever seen.

"_You're just what I needed, you're just what I needed, you're just what I needed...Yeah yeah yeah_."

And then just like that, they were gone again. Lost in the mass of people.

Before she had the time to properly register it, they were starting their next song.

An original that she and Levi had written a while back called 'Manhattan Morning'.

Funny enough, they were the farthest place from that very city at the moment.

* * *

xxx

So a little something different. Quinn and Rachel don't know each other yet in this fic, which is probably going to make it easier to write.

Now this fic is not my priority. The other two are. But i'm having a bit of writer's block and I want the next chapters in those two fics to be good so I decided to post this while I worked on Strawberry Shampoo and A Table for Two is Where You'll Run Into Your Past.

So I won't update this one as often. Maybe once a week if I can. Depends on how i'm doing with the other two.

I've always been amused by the idea of Rachel going rock and roll.

Next chapter will be from Quinn's POV and how she got to Paradise City.

Please be kind and review!

Song: Just what I needed - The Cars.

xxx

(P.S: The band name is actually based off a Lemony Snicket book, and if you hadn't guessed, Paradise City is a Guns N' Roses song. One of my faves.)


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: Quinn and Rachel belong to Glee. Everyone else is mine unless stated otherwise.

Quinn's POV. How did she get to San Francisco? Read on!

* * *

_Flight 317 to San Francisco, now boarding. _

This was it.

She was actually doing this.

She was leaving. _For good._

And honestly? She was terrified.

Quinn had married young. Straight out of college, just like her mother had done.

She had gone to law school and had even been offered a job at a reputable law firm in New York City. But then she had met Josh and he had convinced her to move to some suburb in Chicago so he could start this computer software business with one of his college buddies.

It's not what Quinn had wanted, but her parents loved him and she wanted to make them happy for once.

So she had left her dream career behind and moved with him, finding work at a small local law firm instead.

Things had started out just fine. They had gotten married in a small church ceremony in town. He had started his business and she played the role of the perfect wife, making sure that she didn't work long hours so that his dinner was on the table when he got home from work.

Every single night.

Just like her parents had taught her to do while growing up.

But as the years went on, she had slowly started becoming miserable.

This was not what she had wanted. This was far for the plan she had set up for herself.

She had set out to become a successful lawyer in the big city, not some small town attorney handling petty cases.

And eventually, her unhappiness had started becoming apparent in her marriage.

They had started fighting. A lot, and all the time.

And the fact that they had been unsuccessfully trying to conceive for a while wasn't helping.

They figured that a baby could help mend the tension in their marriage. But Quinn couldn't even get pregnant, so that plan was down the drain.

They both knew that they had jumped into things too young. Not only that, but they weren't compatible. On a social-economic level, yes. They had both grown up in religious, conservative and successful families. But deep down where it mattered? They had nothing in common.

Quinn was adventurous. She wanted to try new things, travel the world and meet new people.

He didn't want to venture out of their small town and was content running his small, but successful and growing business.

A few years in, she had finally had enough.

This wasn't who she was and she was growing restless.

She was done trying to please her family and living a lie by pretending that she was happy with this man.

So after gathering up the courage to serve him with divorce papers, she had packed up and left.

Left him, left her job, left that boring suburb behind.

For a fresh start.

There were so many places she wanted to visit. To travel to.

But first, she needed to find a place to settle.

And there was one place, on the other side of the country, that she had always wanted to venture out to.

California.

More specifically, San Francisco.

She had heard stories about the amazing city but never had the chance to visit.

But this, this was her chance.

To start her new life somewhere that could fulfill her desires of living something other than the plain, boring life she had in Chicago where all she did was try and please her husband.

But there would be no more of that.

Before handing her husband the divorce papers, she had contacted a law firm in San Francisco and sent them her resume.

It wasn't that much, since she hadn't had the chance to work on any huge cases considering she lived in a quiet part of the city.

But her academic achievements were enough for them to grant her an interview, which she did over Skype.

She didn't think she was qualified enough to get the job, but a week later, she received an email from the firm.

They liked her and had offered her a starting position that started in a month, enough time for her to get herself settled in the city.

That was enough to push her to finally leave her husband.

He had protested, he had yelled. Telling her that she couldn't ruin their perfect suburban couple 'image'.

But she didn't care. As soon as she had gotten news that she had landed the job, she had immediately called a real estate agency in San Francisco and secured an apartment.

It was something small and temporary, with a month to month lease. Just so she could have a place while she got settled into her new job and looked for something more permanent.

Quinn might have been a small town attorney, but she was still a lawyer. And she had more than enough to take care of herself as she waited for her new income to start coming in.

_Flight 317 to San Francisco, now boarding. _

The voice came over the loud speaker again and she took a deep breath, looking down at her luggage.

She had one large suitcase and a carry on. The rest of her things were supposed to meet her at her apartment in San Francisco in a day or two, and she had one of her lawyer friends on hand to make sure that her husband wouldn't stop that from happening.

After all, he had done everything to stop her from leaving.

Including calling her father for backup.

But that didn't work either. Because it was about time that Quinn Fabray started living her life for herself and try to find her own happiness instead of attempting to please the people around her. She wasn't a teenager anymore and was damn well allowed to make her own beginnings.

So after handing in her boarding pass and flashing the attendant a nervous smile, she made her way onto the plane without looking back.

This part of her life was over and she was ready to begin a new chapter.

2131 miles away.

* * *

Four and a half hours later, her plane landed at the San Francisco International Airport.

She was pleasantly surprised to be greeted with sunshine, considering how cold it had been in Chicago when she had left.

This was going to take some getting used to, because the blonde wasn't used to warm weather this time of year.

But she liked it. It was a nice change from the wind and bitter cold.

And could probably help lift her spirits.

Yes, she was happy that she was starting something new after finally having enough courage to leave behind her crumbling marriage, but that didn't mean that she wasn't terrified.

She had flown to the other side of the country, alone. To a city she had never been before, where she knew no one and had no idea how things worked there.

Starting over was scary, even if she had been desperately craving a change.

"You're a big girl, Fabray.", she told herself as she walked to baggage claim, shedding her woolly cardigan on the way.

She certainly hadn't dressed for the warm weather.

"This is what you need to do so you can finally be happy. This is where you need to be.",she reminded herself softly as she grabbed her suitcase when she saw it.

The crowded airport made her feel dizzy and in need of some fresh air. Not to mention the fact that the time difference between San Francisco and Chicago was screwing her up.

It was only almost 6 o'clock here. Whereas back home, it would already be 8.

The two hour difference is something else she had to get used to.

Taking a deep breath, she politely apologized as she weaved through the crowd of people until she was finally outside and sighed in relief, her pale skin tingling under the warm glow of the late afternoon sun.

"This is home now." She said out loud, trying to ingrain it in herself that there was no going back to cold, windy Chicago.

"This is home now." She repeated, thinking that if she said it enough times, she would finally believe that this wasn't all some crazy fantasy or a dream.

She was really going through with this.

Finally, the words began to stick in her mind and a smile started to curve on her lips as she called for a cab.

The driver helped her get her suitcase into the back before she climbed in, surprised when she found that he had the air conditioning on high instead of the heat, like she was accustomed to.

"Where are you headed, ma'am?", the driver asked with a polite smile as he pulled away from the curb in front of the airport.

She rattled off the address of her new apartment and watched him punch it into the car's navigational system.

"Where are you coming from? Must be from out East, judging by that sweater in your hands. Didn't expect the heat,hm?", he chuckled.

Quinn smiled softly, toying with the hem of her blouse.

"Chicago.", she said quietly.

"Hey, I got family out there.",he said with a cheerful grin. "Are you here on business or just visiting?"

Quinn was silent for a moment, staring out the window at everything they were passing by.

It was all so new and she tried to memorize the sights as they flew by, fresh in her mind.

"Moving, actually. Fresh start."

The driver met her gaze in the rear view mirror and smiled softly.

"Well, I think you've come to the right place. This is California. Everyone comes here for a fresh start nowadays. I'm guessing you're not an actress though, since you didn't choose LA.",he chuckled lowly.

Quinn gave him a small smile and shook her head slowly.

"Lawyer, actually. I got offered a job down here, and I've always wanted to see the city. I've heard a lot about it."

"I've been living here for fifteen years. It's pretty amazing, if I do say so myself. And if you're looking for a fresh start like you said, I think you're going to find it here. This might not be LA or New York City, but I've seen lots of magical things happen out here..."

Quinn smiled at that and looked down at her left hand. There was a small indent in the spot where her wedding ring had once been. She had taken it off before leaving Chicago, leaving it on her dresser in her old bedroom for her husband to find and do with it what he wished.

She just knew that she couldn't keep it. It was part of her fresh start. Nothing from her past. And since she was getting divorced, she didn't see the need to have it anymore.

"Yeah, I think I'm in need of something magical...",she murmured softly after a moment.

The rest of the cab ride was spent in silence. The only sound she could hear was the soft music filtering through the car's speakers and the driver humming along to the tune.

It was putting her at ease for some reason.

Twenty minutes later, they were arriving in front of a tall, brick colored apartment building.

Her new building.

"Here you go, ma'am."

Quinn took out her wallet and handed him the money for the cab fare, along with a tip.

The man helped her with her suitcase and set it on the curb for her before looking down at her with a gentle smile.

He was probably in his mid fifties, with wrinkles around his bright blue eyes.

He was the first person she had met in San Francisco, and she was happy for it.

He was kind.

"I don't know if it's just a feeling in my aging bones, but I think you're going to find that something magical, ma'am. I just know it. Good luck, and god bless."

And with that, he was off again.

She watched as the cab drove away and once it was out of view, she let out a soft breath.

She hoped that he was right. That she'd find something magical.

Something that would finally make her happy. The happiness she had been lacking over the past couple of years when she was married and pretending that that was what she wanted out of life.

Licking her lips, she grabbed onto her suitcase and walked into her new apartment building for the first time.

Apartment 7A. Third floor. That's where her new home was.

Well, her new temporary home, while she got settled.

She dug into her small carry on bag for the set of keys that the real estate agent had mailed to her earlier that week.

The keys to her apartment.

She held them tightly in her hand, and as the tip of the key pressed into her palm, it all suddenly felt so much more real.

She looked to her right and noticed the out of order sign on the building's only elevator, so with a deep sigh, she set out to drag her heavy suitcase up the three floors to her apartment.

It took her almost fifteen minutes, and when she was finally on her floor, her arms ached and her forehead was a bit sweaty.

But she reminded herself once again that this was all part of her plan for a fresh start, and that any moment now she would be walking into her new place and everything would be official.

She will have become a resident of San Francisco, California.

With the keys in hand, she rolled her suitcase down the carpeted hall towards apartment 7A.

A minute later, she had turned the lock and opened the door.

She flipped on the light switch before stepping inside, quirking a brow.

The place was small.

Not small in terms of a studio apartment, but it was basically the size of the apartment she had lived in while in college.

She supposed that that was to be expected from these kinds of places, where you had a month to month lease.

It wouldn't be anything spectacular.

Besides, she would only be here for a month or two. Enough time for her to settle into her new job and new life, and find a place suitable for her.

So for the moment being, it would do.

Thankfully, the place already came furnished.

Sort of.

There was a fridge and a stove.

A couch. A TV stand with no TV.

A small kitchen table.

And thankfully, a bed. With what looked like a new mattress on it (thank God), and a dresser.

It wasn't that bad. The place had a certain charm to it. It was clean, and the kitchen had that exposed brick in it that she loved so much.

The living room had a nice view of a park, and her bedroom wasn't on the side closest to the street, which she was thankful for because she hated the thought of being woken up in the middle of the night by the sound of roaring engines.

All in all, she liked it.

"Home sweet home.",she said to herself as she set her iPhone down on her dresser and pulled up a playlist on her Spotify account that was appropriately titled 'New Beginnings'. She pressed play and softly hummed to herself as she unzipped her suitcase and began to unpack her things.

She didn't have much since most of her belongings were still on their way here and would probably only arrive in the next couple of days, so it only took her an hour.

An hour to put all the clothes she had brought with her into her dresser, to set up her toiletries in the bathroom and to put the new sheets she had bought onto the bed.

They were mint green.

Her favorite color.

Her husband had hated that color and wouldn't let her use it to decorate their house.

_Ex-Husband,_ she reminded herself.

"Screw him.", she said out loud.

She could do what she wanted now, which included putting mint green sheets on her bed and singing out loud while she did so.

That was another thing. Singing always irritated him.

God, why was she thinking about him anyway?

That wasn't part of her fresh start plan.

He was a part of her past, which had no place here. And she had left him in Chicago for a reason. He didn't make her happy, and she was here to make herself happy.

She sighed softly and turned up the volume on her music, Sting's 'Brand New Day' filling her apartment and drowning out her thoughts.

* * *

By the time her things were to her liking and she flopped down onto her bed, it was 8 o'clock and she realized that she hadn't eaten since the sandwich she had on the plane a couple of hours into her flight.

She didn't have anything in her fridge, obviously. And she didn't feel like grocery shopping at the moment.

So her only option was to go out.

She didn't actually feel like it. She'd much rather spend her evening lounging on the couch, in front of her nonexistent TV and processing the fact that she had actually had the guts to move across the country.

But she knew she had to eat and her stomach was beginning to grumble.

"I could always order in.", she told herself as she got up and picked up her phone, ready to look up some place that delivered decent food.

_Go out and explore. You just moved to one of the most exciting cities in the country and you want to stay in? It's a Friday night, you're still young. Do something, Fabray! You're a new woman now!_

She could hear her inner voice speaking to her and sighed heavily, slowly putting her phone back down onto her dresser.

She hadn't gone out in years.

Not since her college days, really.

Her husband didn't approve of parties, and the only events they had gone to while they were married were boring business gatherings that left her yawning and aching for something more entertaining, every time.

But now she was free to make her own decisions and if she wanted to go out, she would go out.

It was about damn time that she started having fun again.

"You're right.", she said to herself as she began opening the drawers of her dresser, looking for something she could wear.

Sure she had no idea where to go and knew absolutely no one. But this is how one made friends, right?

She wasn't going to meet anyone holed up in her apartment. She needed to go out, explore the city.

The fun wasn't going to just come to her. She had to go to it.

Which is why forty five minutes later, she was leaving her apartment.

She had taken a shower and gotten dressed in a short, dark blue dress. One she had bought months ago but never had an occasion to wear it to.

Her hair was in loose curls, and she had stuck to minimal makeup, only accentuating her eyes and adding a touch of lip gloss.

She looked good, and she was excited because it had been ages since she had the chance to dress up like this.

She could already feel that happiness meter go up a few notches just at the simple fact that she was finally doing something on a Friday night instead of staying at home and reading, or looking over files for a case.

She was actually going to live a little.

Grabbing her purse, her keys and her phone, she had a wide grin on her face as she left her apartment.

Although as soon as she got outside, it fell a little when she realized that she didn't actually have a car yet to properly do some exploring.

And had no idea how the buses out here worked.

"Okay so maybe I'll stick to walking distance for tonight and do some more exploring when I know how to get around without ending up lost somewhere.",she told herself.

Which is why she now found herself at a bar, five blocks from her apartment.

_Paradise City. _

That was the name she had read outside in bright lights and on a whim, had decided to go in.

She hadn't actually been in a bar in years, and didn't know if it was a good idea to go to one on her first night in the city.

But for some reason, something had just drawn her to the place.

She didn't know if it was the bright lights outside the establishment, the laughter and music coming from inside or the fact that the sign was advertising a real live performing rock band, but she had walked in without thinking twice.

Besides, a place called _Paradise City_ couldn't be so bad, could it?

* * *

It was safe to say that the place was crowded.

Everywhere she turned, there were people.

Some her age, some a bit younger.

Almost all of them had a drink in hand and was swaying along to the music playing on the large speakers, since the band hadn't come on yet.

Quinn gulped lightly as she smoothed down her dress and stepped further into the bar.

She was out of her element. She wasn't used to these kinds of places, and the fact that she was here alone terrified her a little.

She was just relieved that this wasn't some kind of dive bar and that she wasn't totally out of place in her dress.

She was just extremely nervous.

_Relax, Fabray. You're the new Quinn now, remember? This is what you wanted. To try new things without being held back by your unfulfilled marriage. You got your wish, now go have some fun. _

Her inner voice was right.

She spotted an empty seat at the bar and took a deep breath, running a hand through her hair before she quickly walked towards it so she could claim it before anyone else got to it.

After all, the place was pretty full.

"What can I get you, sweetheart?", she heard a low, purring voice say and looked up to see a dark haired bartender grinning down at her as she wiped down the counter with a rag.

Quinn swallowed lightly and flashed her a shy smile.

What_ could_ she get her? That was a good question. Quinn wasn't much of a drinker, after all. Save for the few glasses of wine she had from time to time at home.

"Um...I'll have a...Martini?", she said off the top of her head.

The women in the movies she watched always ordered martinis.

"And an order of fries, please.", she added a second later.

After all, the point of her going out in the first place was because she was hungry and her fridge at home was completely empty.

Save for the strange bag of frozen peas she had found in the freezer...

"Coming right up, gorgeous!", the bartender chirped and Quinn felt herself blush faintly.

It had actually been a while since she had been called gorgeous.

It's not like her looks had faded over the years. She just wasn't used to hearing those kinds of compliments anymore.

After murmuring a soft thank you, she looked down at the time on her phone.

It was a little past 9 o'clock, and the band was only going on at 10.

They were called 'The Bad Beginnings', and Quinn had never heard of them before.

But she was excited, because she hadn't seen a live band play since her college days and this whole thing was making her feel extremely nostalgic.

A few minutes later, her food and drink were set in front of her and Quinn smiled politely at the bartender as she slipped her credit card onto the counter to pay.

She spent the next forty five minutes or so taking it all in while she ate and sipped on her martini.

The fact that she was in a crowded bar, in San Francisco, more than two thousand miles from the place she called home for so many years.

Yeah, she might have felt scared and nervous when she had first gotten to the city.

But now, little by little, she was starting to feel relieved. Relieved that she had gotten away from it all and could finally begin again in a place she knew could fulfill her desires.

When 10 o'clock finally struck, the lights dimmed and Quinn could feel a fluttering of excitement in her stomach because she knew the band was about to start.

She finished her drink and decided to make her way closer to the stage, melding in with the equally excited crowd.

The audience began to cheer as the band walked onto the stage and Quinn couldn't help but clap with them, leaning up onto her toes so she could see properly.

She saw the drummer, then a keyboardist, and what looked like the bass player.

But what really caught her attention, was the lead singer and guitarist.

She didn't know what it was or why it happened, but as she set her eyes on the small brunette, her insides got all warm and her cheeks flushed.

And she couldn't understand why.

She had never felt this feeling before, like her heart was doing jumping jacks in her chest.

And certainly not while looking at another woman.

It was foreign and she tried to push away the feeling as she swallowed hard, but she couldn't take her eyes off of the girl.

In Quinn's mind, she was the most beautiful person she had ever laid eyes on.

Tight leather pants, combat boots, snug band t-shirt, shoulder length messy hair, leather jacket.

It wasn't something that Quinn would have gone for. Ever.

After all, she was used to the slew of preppy looking guys she had dated. The kind with pristine haircuts, pressed khakis and polo shirts.

But this? This was new, and alluring, and she couldn't quite comprehend why that was.

She inhaled sharply, realizing that she had forgotten to breathe for the past minute and a half.

She looked around her as the crowd continued to cheer while the band prepared to start their set.

She was the only one staring like an idiot.

She cleared her throat and looked away, trying to focus on something else.

Anything else.

But as the first opening notes sounded, Quinn heard the most beautiful sound that had ever reached her ears.

The lead singer's voice.

It was like honey and melted chocolate. Smooth and rich. And _sexy._

And in an instant, her eyes were glued to her again and she was frozen in place, despite the fact that everyone else around her was happily swaying to the beat of the song they were singing.

What was happening to her? Why the hell was she getting so damn flushed and flustered? What was making her heart beat this loud?

She tried to blame it on the base coming in loudly through the speakers.

This feeling was too new for her to pinpoint. She was used to feeling bored, miserable and dissatisfied.

Now... Now there was a spark.

_I guess you're just what I needed..._

Those were the words that flowed out of the singer's mouth as their eyes suddenly met and she gasped softly.

For a second, she couldn't hear anything else as she held her gaze. She felt like she could see right into the woman's soul through those deep brown eyes.

_I guess you're just what I needed..._

Maybe this was what _she_ needed. Maybe this was that something magical that the cab driver had been talking about.

Then just like that, she was swallowed by the sea of people and their gaze was broken as she stumbled back a little, not able to see much of anything anymore.

But she knew one thing for certain; she wasn't leaving _Paradise City_ without getting this girl's name.

* * *

xxx

Next chapter, they're going to meet. But how is Quinn going to get our rock singer's attention?

Well you're going to have to tune in to see!

Please be kind and review.

And if you haven't read any of my other work, I have two other fanfics in progress!

Now I need to go to sleep...It's 2h30 am here.

xxx


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Rachel and Quinn belong to Glee, everyone else is mine unless stated otherwise.

* * *

Rachel could barely remember the next chord in the song.

Let alone the next words.

And she was the one who had written the damn thing.

And practiced it over a hundred times, alone and with her band.

Manhattan Morning was one of their first original songs and it was also one of Rachel's favorites, because it referenced the beautiful East Coast city she had fallen in love with so many years ago.

She loved singing about the morning fog, the chaotic noise and the familiarity of getting coffee on a street corner in a blue paper cup.

The slow melody of the song contrasting the fast paced life that was New York City.

The song reminded her of home despite the fact that they were performing a couple thousand miles away, on a whole different coast.

In a different time zone, even.

But now? Now she had to try her best to focus so she wouldn't stumble over her words because instead of pulling the sentimental lyrics from inside her soul and letting them flow from her lips in a beautiful harmony with the backing voices of her band members like they had done so many times before, her mind had instead decided to flash those gorgeous hazel eyes inside of her head on a constant loop.

Like a lighthouse that could bring any lost ship out of the fog.

The eyes she had only seen for a moment before they had gotten lost among the sea of browns and blues and greens.

Over the course of her young life, Rachel had seen a fair share of those colors trying to peer into her soul and figure her out like she was some kind of puzzle.

A string of exes, casual flings and fleeting romances. They were mostly all a big blur of dull browns with the occasional corn flower blue or muddy green mixed in.

Or that one person she had briefly dated that sported electric purple contact lenses.

But this kind of hazel? Sure it wasn't her first time encountering the shade, but she was positive that none before these had been so golden and vibrant and...Captivating.

And they were so different than the typical alcohol induced slightly glazed over eyes that she usually saw in the bars where she performed.

These eyes were full of wonder and curiosity, and excitement.

They held something, like a bright light that had been on the verge of fizzling out before it had been renewed to shine brighter than ever.

Like all of this was new and she just happened to find herself in this bar, on that night, listening to Rachel's band play for the first time.

And then just as quickly as they had hooked her, they had been gone again.

Like it was just some figment of her imagination.

Which is why Rachel kept scanning over the crowded room as she absently played through the song, not putting as much emotion into it as she normally would but dazzling the crowd nonetheless.

They were cheering and swaying along to the rhythm until it seemed like they all melded together as one, and as their second song ended, their loud applause made a small grin appear on Rachel's lips as she bent down to grab her water bottle and took a small sip, clearing her throat as they got ready for the next song in the set.

She was delighted that they liked their original stuff. Sure they could play covers until the sun rose in the sky, but their original songs were what she was most proud of and she was always anxious when performing one of them to a new crowd.

But this audience seemed to love it and it just made her all the more proud.

"Hey Rae, you okay? You seemed a little distracted a minute ago...",Angela said quietly in her ear as they geared up for another cover, this time of Pink Floyd's 'Comfortably Numb'. It was one of Angela's favorite songs and Rachel had agreed to add it to their ten song set for the evening.

Clearing her throat, Rachel adjusted one of the strings on her guitar and turned a knob on her amplifier before she nodded slightly, giving her friend and band mate a small smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just... nerves, I guess. I think I got distracted.",she murmured softly as she absently glanced towards the audience, which was eagerly waiting for them to start the song.

She still couldn't get a glimpse of those hazel hues. Maybe her mind _was_ making her imagine things because of the nerves.

Why was she so hung up on this, anyway? There were just a pair of eyes.

Angela followed her gaze out onto the crowd and smirked slightly, nudging Rachel's hip playfully.

"Ooh, are you already picking out someone to take home? You're starting early, Berry.",she chuckled lowly as she returned to her position and began strumming on her bass, which was soon joined by Levi on his keyboard and then Brennan on the drums, counting out the beat of the song.

Rachel simply rolled her eyes and huffed as she felt her cheeks heat up and instead of answering the dark haired girl, she just started the song and smiled slightly as she was met with applause when the crowd recognized the tune.

For the record, it's not like bringing someone home after the show was a regular thing for her.

Rachel wasn't like that.

She wasn't the type of person that was in a band just so they could sleep with anyone they wanted to.

No, she was in it for the music first and foremost.

Bringing home some company once in a while was just an added bonus.

After all, a woman had needs.

But she wasn't one to sleep around.

Shaking her head of _those _thoughts, she leaned into her mic and began to sing, her voice low and raspy, making half the people in the room swoon while the others were just enthralled by her voice.

But they were all captivated by her all over again and that was the best part of performing.

By the time she was singing about fleeting glimpses out of the corner of her eye (which was the perfect line for her current situation),she had convinced herself that those beautiful eyes were just a trick of the light and there was no gorgeous human being in the audience to which they belonged.

She would have seen them again if that were the case, right?

Despite that strange inner need to locate those golden orbs again, and subsequently the undoubtedly perfect face that went along with them, she decided to concentrate on their set instead.

Ten minutes later when their fifth song finished, which was another original song that she and Angela had written not too long ago while they had been holed up in her apartment during a particularly severe thunderstorm, all she could think about was getting herself a nice cold beer during their ten minute intermission and maybe some fresh air as well because the spotlights on the stage made it seem like they were in a sauna.

When the crowd's cheering finally died down, Rachel smiled brightly as she ran a hand through her short, choppy dark locks.

"Wow...",she laughed breathlessly as she gazed over the crowd. "You guys have been an amazing audience so far and you're definitely making our first gig out here a memorable one."

More cheering, clapping and a few enthusiastic whistles that caused a quiet giggle to leave her lips.

"We're gonna take a short break... Have a beer, or two.",she smirked with a playful wink that earned her another round of cheers. "And then we'll come back with a few more songs. Stay tuned. We are _The Bad Beginnings_!"

And with that, she turned to face the three other members of her band with a wide grin because the first half of their set had gone off without a hitch, minus Rachel's minor distraction, of course.

They had performed five songs, two originals and three covers, and were set to perform five more for the second half of their set.

Now ten songs didn't seem like a whole lot, but for their first gig away from home, it was definitely plenty for them.

"See Rach, you were nervous about nothing. They loved you.", Levi grinned as Rachel walked past and he playfully ruffled her hair, messing it up even more.

Rachel ducked away from his hand and laughed softly as she took her guitar strap off, holding her instrument by the neck.

"Us. They loved us, dude. You guys were amazing. I can't believe we made it out here and now we're actually performing in San Francisco. It's so surreal...I'm proud of each and everyone one of you guys. We couldn't have made it this far without us working as a team.",she breathed out with a happy sigh as they walked backstage and she and Angela put their instruments on their respective stands while they took a break.

Brennan snorted out a laugh as he playfully whacked her ass with one of his drumsticks, smirking at her. "Okay enough with the sentimental shit, Berry. It's break time. Go get yourself a beer and show off that ass in those leather pants of yours.",he said as he wiggled his brows playfully. "You're totally gonna real one in tonight.",he winked.

Rachel couldn't help but roll her eyes at his words and shake her head, feeling her cheeks heat up. "Don't be a pig, Bren.",she muttered, even though she had to agree on the fact that she did look pretty hot in her outfit tonight.

That was another thing that had changed since high school and college. She actually had confidence in herself and wasn't ashamed to say that she felt hot or sexy.

It did wonders for her self esteem.

"Are you guys coming out?", she asked as she headed for the door that lead out into the bar area, her brows raised in question towards the other band members.

"Nah, we wouldn't want to get in the way of all the girls that are going to throw themselves at you. Just bring us back some beers, Berry.", Angela said with a playful smirk.

Rachel huffed softly and fought the urge to roll her eyes again as she opened the door.

"Girls do not throw themselves at me...",she muttered under her breath.

Okay, that was sort of a lie.

Ever since she had changed her appearance from Sunday school teacher to hot librarian to rocker chick, she _had_ been getting tons of more attention from the female population.

She didn't know if it was the leather, the tattoos, the hair or the tough attitude she tried to put on while onstage (because come on, Rachel was practically a kitten in the real world), but ever since she had made this change, girls were paying much more attention to her.

And it's not like she complained.

Not at all.

Rachel had known since high school that she tended to lean towards the same gender more often than not.

She had just dated guys for the duration of her teenage years because they were the only ones who seemed to be showing some interest.

Not that there was anything wrong with that. She had been attracted to them, for the most part.

But nowadays? She seemed to be all about the ladies.

Because women were simply divine and she couldn't get enough of them. Being among women was like strolling through the Met or the MoMA; Beauty everywhere, in all shapes, sizes and colors. Every single one of them held something she found to be beautiful.

And Rachel was very keen on admiring beautiful things.

Also, Angela was kind of right.

As soon as she walked out and began to make her way towards the bar to get drinks for herself and her band mates, she was nearly ambushed.

From every direction there were women asking her if she wanted a drink, or telling her how amazing her performance was.

Or slipping her pieces of papers or napkins with phone numbers on them. There were quite a few of those.

"Your voice is so sexy, Rae..."

"You look killer in that outfit..."

"Can I buy you a drink? Something strong, maybe?"

"You should come hang out with us, we're at a table full of girls. We'd love to talk to you."

"Here. Call me sometime..."

"Call me."

"Call me, gorgeous."

"My number's on there. Give me a call, rock star."

She couldn't help the small grin that appeared on her lips as she tried her best to interact with them in some way or another.

Mostly with thank yous, blushes, giggles and winks.

Although, she always wondered if this kind of attention was because she was in a band' (women liked that kind of stuff, apparently) or because they simply found her attractive. Or both.

Nevertheless, it was enjoyable. Because high school Rachel, or even college Rachel, wouldn't have gotten this kind of attention back then.

It would have been slushies instead of drinks that actually stayed in their glass, and insults instead of compliments.

Or stacks of homework instead of phone numbers written on napkins with glittery pens and lipstick stains.

Jocks that smelled like a gym locker room shoving her around instead of flowery smelling girls huddled around her trying to talk to her.

So sue her for enjoying herself a bit too much.

She happily took some of the phone numbers, flashing bright smiles and graciously accepting all the compliments about her performance as she weaved her way through the crowd to get to the bar.

She even talked to some of the men that were stopping her to compliment her singing or her guitar playing, or asking her if she knew how to play certain songs.

Some of them even high fived her, which was always amusing and she chuckled as she happily slapped their hands back.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she got to the bar at the back of the room and found a stool right up front that had magically liberated itself for her.

She had a few minutes left before she had to go back onstage.

But before she was even fully sat down, there was a light tap on her shoulder and Rachel stopped midway through ordering a round of beers.

"Excuse me...Miss Berry?", came the smooth, raspy voice and Rachel swore there were goosebumps rising on her skin.

She had never heard such a sexy sound before and spun around on her stool so fast that she nearly fell off in her eagerness to see who the alluring tone belonged to.

And as she was met with what was probably the face of some fallen angel who had stumbled off of her cloud and accidentally found herself in a bar in the middle of San Francisco, she couldn't help but inhale sharply.

_Those eyes._

So it wasn't a figment of her imagination, after all.

Or a trick of the light.

"Whoa...",she breathed out quietly.

* * *

Quinn wasn't exactly sure what had pushed her to fight through the crowd of women and go introduce herself to the short, dark haired brunette.

It's not like this was a regular thing for the blonde.

Going out.

To bars.

Introducing herself to young rocker chicks in said bars. Or chicks in general...

Rocker chicks who wore leather pants that were incredibly sexy...

_Did you just refer to another woman as sexy, Fabray?_

Oh God.

But she was. She really, really was.

And she didn't know if this was all a part of her 'fresh start and trying to reinvent herself after leaving behind a crumbling marriage that had left her unfulfilled for years' ordeal, but something inside of her had stirred and she wanted to meet the girl.

Throughout the first half of their set, Quinn had been absolutely captivated.

She had lost her vantage point early on when she was practically swallowed up by the crowd after making eye contact with the lead singer.

Eye contact that lasted approximately 3.5 seconds but that had somehow managed to make her heart flutter more than it had in the past five years.

Which honestly, wasn't saying much.

The last time her heart had fluttered during her marriage to her husband was because she had one too many cups of coffee.

It had never fluttered because of one simple look.

_What is wrong with you? Getting weak in the knees because of some girl singing up on stage? Get it together! She's probably younger than you! _

But regardless of what her inner voice was screaming at her, one look into a pair of rich chocolate colored eyes and she was immediately fascinated.

Even though the crowd of people was unfortunately preventing her from seeing much of anything, at least she could still hear the woman's voice.

And it was the most beautiful sound she had ever heard.

The cab driver must have been right because if that sound wasn't magical, she didn't know what was.

She had never heard anything like it before and she was wondering why the hell it was her first time hearing the heavenly sound.

This girl had to be some kind of superstar already...right? Because there was no way a voice like that didn't already have a record contract and three Grammys.

For the remainder of the first half of the show, Quinn had to lean up on her toes to get a good look at the girl, which wasn't quite successful because she kept being blocked by tall guys and women in higher heels than her own.

The place was seriously packed, and if it wasn't for her sudden curiosity towards a woman she had never met, she would have left ages ago.

But she wanted to at least introduce herself to this 'Rae Berry'.

Because the new, going through a divorce Quinn could totally do that now. Introduce herself to attractive rocker chicks in bars.

_When you said you wanted a new you when you moved out here, I didn't think the new Quinn meant being into women..._ Her inner voice chimed in, in amusement.

"Oh shut up, i'm not into women!", she muttered to herself and was grateful for the loud music or else people would be staring at her like she was insane.

_And yet you want to go meet her. _

Only to tell her that she's a good singer...

_But she's kind of hot. _

I know...

_Did you see those leather pants? _

I only saw her for like ten seconds!

_I know you saw the pants, Fabray... _

...Fine. They're crazy attractive and I don't know what's wrong with me right now.

_New city, new you. _

By the time she had stopped having a mental conversation with herself and tuned back in to reality, she realized that the lights were back on and the lead singer was talking to the audience.

And they were taking a break!

_This is your chance, Fabray! Go find that girl and try not to make a fool of yourself because you've never flirted with a woman in your life!_

Was mental glaring a thing? Because she was totally doing it to herself right now.

While yes, it was true that she had never flirted with a woman before, at least intentionally, she wasn't going over there to flirt!

She was just going to say hi, introduce herself, compliment the woman's singing and then march right back over to her spot for the rest of the show.

_If you say so, Q. _

God, why was her mind doing this to her? She had seen plenty of pretty girls before. Why was it pushing her to meet this one? Why was it making her feel... attracted all of a sudden?

_Because it's time you live a little. _

* * *

And living a little is precisely why she was currently pushing through a mob of intimidatingly attractive women that were all attempting to do the same thing she was.

Get to Rae Berry.

Okay, so clearly she wasn't the only person in the bar who found the brunette attractive and talented and wanted to get the chance to talk to her.

She should have expected that one.

After all, they all had eyes that could clearly see how gorgeous the short girl was.

Following the announcement of their small intermission, the lead singer had walked out from backstage and half the women in the bar had immediately rushed over to her and began showering her with compliments and... were those phone numbers?

She narrowed her eyes and huffed softly.

Was she jealous? No, of course not. It's not like she was going over there to give the brunette _her_ phone number...

But they were blocking her way no matter which way she tried to weave through them.

This was a stupid idea.

She could see the brunette laughing and smiling at the hoard of women around her and she tried not to admit how much more attractive she looked up close...

But there was no way that some rocker girl would give her the time of day.

Some lawyer from Chicago going through a divorce standing among a group of beautiful, tanned, long legged California girls.

She sighed heavily and stopped trying to push through for a moment, smoothing down her dress that had been slightly rumpled by all the slight pushing and shoving that was going on around her.

Finally, she rose her brows at herself when she got an idea.

She didn't have a fancy cop badge that she could wave and magically part the crowd of girls like the red sea, but... Quinn was a lawyer. And she could use that to her advantage.

She watched as Rae got to the bar and smirked slightly before she cleared her throat and pushed girls apart with a bit more force. "Okay ladies, move out of the way. I'm Miss Berry's lawyer and I have something important to tell my client so if you would please let me through...",she said in her best stern tone, pulling one of her business cards from her purse and waving it around like it actually had the power to do something.

And just like that, the women stepped aside and cleared a path for her and she couldn't help but grin victoriously, even though some of them were sizing her up like she was part of the competition.

_You want to meet her that bad,huh? Wow, Q. I'm impressed._

Straightening up and putting on her most confident smile, the kind she usually reserved for the court room, Quinn walked through the throng of women and strutted towards the stool where the singer was currently seated.

Somehow her attempt at finding the 'something magical' had lead her here.

So here goes nothing.

She took a breath and stepped up behind the girl, tapping her shoulder lightly. "Excuse me, Miss Berry?"

She held her breath as she waited for the woman to turn around, to either smile at her or brush her off. Who knows.

But the reaction she got was completely different from what she had expected.

The girl was gawking at her. Really gawking at her. Like she had just walked off of a spaceship or something.

She didn't know if that was a good thing or not.

But as soon as their eyes met, she was immediately locked onto the pool of swirling chocolate that were the woman's eyes. They were so rich and deep that she felt that if she stared for too long, she'd get lost in them and the whole world would go by without her noticing.

"Whoa...", she murmured as well without realizing it before she blinked out of her daze and cleared her throat, her cheeks turning bright red as she rubbed the back of her neck.

What the hell was she doing? Not even twenty seconds and she was already acting like a major doofus. She had pretended to be the woman's lawyer just so she could come say hi to her. She had to at least try to be composed while talking to her.

_Play it cool, idiot. _

Right. Play it cool. She could totally do that...right?

Clearing her throat, Quinn flashed the woman a small, timid smile and tucked some hair behind her ear.

A gesture she realized that she used to do when she was younger and attempting to flirt.

But she was definitely not going to flirt with this woman. Oh no. She wasn't even into women!

"I hope someone in here is going to offer you a record deal if you don't already have one...Your voice is the most amazing sound I've ever heard.",she murmured softly, biting her lip as she lightly batted her eyelashes.

_So much for not flirting. _

Oh whatever!

She watched as the woman's perfectly manicured dark eyebrows rose in surprise at her words before her gaze drifted to what she was delighted to find was a very plump set of lips that were curving into a small grin.

"And I hope someone in here is going to offer you a modelling contract if you don't already have one because you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.", the brunette replied smoothly as she looked her over, or rather undressed her with those dark eyes of hers.

At least that's what it felt like in that moment.

Also, Quinn might have forgotten to breathe for the time it took for her face to turn from pale to beet red.

Because that was flirting, right? No one had ever given her that kind of compliment or told her that she should be a model or call her the most beautiful woman they had ever met.

Not even her soon-to-be ex husband.

_Especially_ not him.

Oh my god. She was not experienced in this. She hadn't even introduced herself yet!

After staring at the woman, who practically looked like a goddess dressed in leather with her tanned skin, big eyes and plump pink lips, Quinn finally let her lungs fill with air again.

"I-I'm Quinn...",was the only thing she could stutter out as she shyly held up her hand for a handshake like this was some kind of business meeting.

Good lord, she was a dork.

But despite her acting like a major spazz, the brunette's grin only stretched wider and Quinn couldn't help but inhale sharply as the woman took her hand and bent down to kiss it gently.

Didn't that only happen in movies and certainly not in bars?

She wasn't swooning already. She wasn't, honestly. Nope.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Quinn. Beautiful name. I'm Rachel... Rachel Berry. I'm glad you enjoyed my singing.", she said as she slowly released her hand and made eye contact with her again.

She tried to play if off as a weird symptom of jetlag when she could practically feel a spark every time their eyes connected.

Because that was just... It was impossible.

Biting her lip, the blonde let her hand fall to her side and rose a brow at the woman, Rachel, and tilted her head curiously.

"Rachel? So Rae is...?"

"Just a stage name that I started going by when we started performing. But you,gorgeous, can definitely call me Rachel. It sounds nice in your voice.",she chuckled lowly, leaning back against the bar as she ran a hand through her hair.

Quinn felt herself blush again. This was too much. She had never been talked to like this by another woman.

"Are you flirting with me?", she asked bluntly before reddening even more when she realized what had left her mouth.

She watched as Rachel smirked in amusement and let out a laugh, that practically sounded like a melody on its own.

"Of course not. We just met a minute ago...",she said in a tone that suggested otherwise.

And the wink she added didn't help.

More blushing, definitely more blushing. She thought about turning around and walking right back out of the bar and to her empty apartment because she wasn't sure if she could even handle...whatever this conversation was. She wasn't ready, and this was all new to her and she was still trying to acknowledge the fact that for the first time (or the first time she actually realized it), she had felt some form of attraction towards someone of the same sex.

Wasn't this sort of thing supposed to happen in college!?

No, of course not. Quinn had spent the majority of her college years with her nose buried deep inside her law text books and internship case files.

The most attractive thing to her had been her bed after a particularly grueling day of studying.

She wasn't equipped for this.

"Are you okay, Quinn? You seem a bit... worried?", Rachel asked with furrowed eyebrows as she carefully studied the woman.

"You can't flirt with me.", Quinn said quietly, instead of answering the question. Because she was not okay. She was questioning why she had the guts to come over here in the first place.

Rachel raised a brow in surprise at that, looking at her curiously.

"Why can't I? Are you married or something?",the singer asked, her gaze moving downwards, obviously looking for a wedding ring.

Quinn visibly cringed at that and looked away, running a hand through her golden locks and tugging at the ends, like she always did when she felt anxious or stressed or just... any other emotion, really.

"Yes... No.",she correctly quickly, heaving a deep sigh. "I'm getting divorced, actually. I just moved out here... for a fresh start.",she said with a slight roll of her eyes because how many times had she said that today?

"And that's why I can't flirt?"

"Not exactly..."

"Then what is it?"

"You're a girl..."

There was a ten second pause where Rachel just studied her, pursing her lips. She probably didn't look all that great, with red cheeks and shifting eyes.

"You've never had a girl flirt with you before?", Rachel asked curiously, a hint of an amused smile growing on her lips.

"No. Never. I was married to my husband for five years and before that, well... I didn't really get out much.",she admitted quietly, wondering how red her face could get before it downright exploded.

"Can I ask you something then?", Rachel said after a moment. The brunette noticed that her band members were making their way back onto the stage and she hadn't even gotten them drinks yet. The intermission was already coming to an end.

"Sure...",Quinn murmured softly, looking up at the short rock singer through her lashes.

"Why did you come over here?"

"I had to..."

"And why is that?"

Quinn sighed softly, toying with the hem of her dress.

"Because something in my mind told me that I had to. As soon as I saw you, my mind was telling me to come introduce myself. I don't know why.",she frowned slightly. "I think it's part of this plan to become a 'new me' now that I moved across the country."

"A new you that flirts with women even though you've clearly never had that kind of interaction before?"

"Apparently...",she breathed out as she noticed that the lights were dimming again.

Rachel would have to go back on stage and all this conversation brought her was a lot of blushing.

What was the point of this again? Humiliation? Why was she so drawn to her in the first place?

The brunette noticed the light change as well and Quinn sighed softly as she watched her slip off of her stool. The hoard of women were inching towards her again. It seemed like Quinn could only hold them off for so long.

Three minutes.

That's how long she had managed to get Rae... Rachel Berry's attention.

She could go home now, right? This had been her one adventurous experience for the night.

Or for the whole month.

She flashed the shorter woman a slight smile before turning to make her way through the crowd again when she felt a small hand grab her by the wrist before she could get too far.

"Hey wait."

Quinn stopped and looked at her over her shoulder, raising her brows curiously as she waited for what Rachel might have to say.

"I saw you. In the crowd... Earlier. When I was singing. It was your eyes...I've never seen that shade of hazel before. They're gorgeous.", Rachel murmured softly with a sweet smile as she let go of her hand.

And Quinn suddenly felt her knees quiver and that flutter in her heart for the second time that night.

Again, these sort of things only happened in cheesy rom-coms,right?

The pink tint returning to her cheeks, the blonde didn't know that to say. How did one reply after being told that their eyes had stood out in a full crowd?

An eternity passed by.

Well, an eternity that lasted a full minute.

"Can we talk after the show? Get a cup of coffee or something? You look like the kind of girl that I'd like to get to know better..."

That was probably an overused line, but Quinn couldn't help feeling a bit giddy.

"I don't know...",she murmured uncertainly, biting her lip. Because she really didn't know if she should meet the brunette after the show. Was she capable of interacting with her without feeling like she was going to faint?

"Okay, where is our talented lead singer hiding? I think she forgot about the second half of our show. And she also forgot our beers. Where are you, Rae?"

They both looked at the stage and saw the keyboardist looking out over the crowd with a grin as he tried to locate Rachel among the sea of people.

Rachel hummed and gave her a sweet smile. "Well, you have about five songs to decide if you want to change that 'I don't know' into a yes or a no. And i'm really hoping that it's a yes or else those eyes are going to haunt me for the rest of the night..."

And with that, she was gone.

Moments later, she was on stage, adjusting her guitar while the audience cheered.

Quinn stared for a moment before she turned towards the bar and blinked a few times, trying to figure out if their conversation had been real or if it was just some lonely divorced woman fantasy starring a young attractive rocker girl that her mind had probably made up.

And was she going to go see her after the show?

"I'll have a shot, please. Tequila.", she said as she sat down on the stool that Rachel had vacated and slipped her card onto the counter.

The shot of liquor might hold the answers she needed.

* * *

xxx

Sorry this took so long!

So is Quinn going to meet Rachel after the show or run home?

Tune in to find out!

Please be kind and review.

And for those following my other two fics, Strawberry Shampoo will be updated tomorrow night and Table for two on Saturday so stay tuned!

xxx


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